The Army will pick either the Bell 360 Invictus or the Sikorsky Raider-X as its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. Get a close-up look at both contenders.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Raider-X compound helicopter not only meets the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance needs today, Sikorsky FARA director Tim Malia told us: It has the margin for growth “to be a good investment for the taxpayer for decades to come.”
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Bell design for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft isn’t as revolutionary as archrival Sikorsky’s. But, Bell says, that’s an advantage in the mud and chaos of real warzones.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Army’s urgently developing new air-launched drones, long-range missiles, and electronic architecture to go on the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft that Bell and Sikorsky are vying to build.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Bell 360 Invictus and the Sikorsky Raider-X will vie for the final contract to build FARA, with rival prototypes in flight by 2023. Bell and Sikorsky (with Boeing) are also facing off for the FLRAA transport.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.WASHINGTON: In normal times, this week would see Bell Textron and the Sikorsky-Boeing team showing off their cutting-edge aircraft at AUSA Global Force in Huntsville, with video displays, models, and even full-size mock-ups. With conferences closed down because of the coronavirus, we’re making an all-out push to give you a virtual taste of Huntsville (click…
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.After decades of R&D, the race to replace the UH-60 helicopter is entering its last few years.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.AVX/L3, Bell, Boeing, Karem, and Sikorsky have submitted their designs for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. None of them is a conventional helicopter.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Navy’s Osprey differs from the Marine Corps and Air Force versions, boasting an enhanced fuel capacity, which required wing modifications to deal with the greater weight.
By Robbin Laird“We don’t have the time or luxury to wait for people,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said. “They’ve got to keep pace with us if they want to do business with us.”
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Army is skeptical that early models of the Future Vertical Lift aircraft will be able to fly unmanned. But Bell says it’s already flight-tested all the essential automation.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.Bell’s snazzy new demonstration center may be the future of how defense contractors pitch their tech to Pentagon and congressional staff.
By Richard Whittle“What you see before you is an aircraft … providing a low-risk path for the Army to meet the timeline, the schedule, and the cost objectives.”
By Richard WhittleMechanical fixes kept the SB>1 compound helicopter grounded for weeks this summer, but the Sikorsky-Boeing team insists they can catch up.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.